Introduction to Masechta Berachot

Masechta (tractate) Berachot discusses the laws of Jewish prayer. Tosefta Berachot is divided into 6 chapters in the Vienna manuscript and the printed editions and into 7 chapters in the Erfurt manuscript. Since I am following the numeration of the Vilna Talmud Bavli edition of the Tosefta, I will refer to the 6 chapters division.

As will be discussed further in the commentary various prayers and blessings have been enacted by the Rabbis and are not Torah obligations. There is one exception to that and that is the prayer of Shemah, which is the Jewish classic proclamation of allegiance to the One God – Hashem, which originates in the Torah and is required to be said by the Torah twice a day, in the morning and in the evening.

Chapters 1 and 2 of Tosefta Berachot discuss the laws of Shemah. Chapter 3 discusses the laws of the prayer of Shemoneh Esreh which was enacted by the Rabbis and is supposed to be prayed 3 times a day, in the morning, afternoon and evening. Chapters 4 and 5 discuss the laws of blessings (Berachot) on food as well as on smelling fragrances. And finally, chapter 6 discusses the laws of blessings on various commandments and natural phenomena.